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It Only Takes Two Pitches to Become an Ace

May 14, 2013 6:37 p.m. ET

St. Louis Cardinals righty Shelby Miller has emerged as an early favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year. In his last start on May 10, he struck out 13 batters in a one-hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies. Through seven starts, he's 5-2 and has only allowed eight earned runs in 45 innings. But the most surprising aspect of Miller's fast start: He's only using two pitches.

Conventional wisdom dictates that a starting pitcher needs at least a fastball, a breaking ball, and a change-up to stymie major-league...